Stress Management Health Center

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More Than Half of All Women Report: 'We're Stressed!'

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"You wouldn?t dare think of putting sawdust into your car?s gas tank and
expect it to run, but we often put the nutritional equivalent of that into our
bodies and wonder why we feel the way we do," she says. "High-octane,
quality food will help you manage your stress, because stress is often
unavoidable."

Here?s how to go into battle with stress nutritionally well-armed, she says.
"Cut back on caffeine and sugar, include two fruits and/or vegetables at
every meal or snack, eat mini-meals instead of large meals, and cut back on
alcohol," she says.

"Even if you eat perfectly, you still need to supplement with three
basic pills" -- one multivitamin/mineral pill, one of 100 to 400
international units (IU) of vitamin E, and a calcium/magnesium supplement
containing 500 mg of calcium and 250 mg of magnesium, Somer says.

In addition to better eating habits, certain mood-altering medicinal plants
and herbs can also help women curb anxiety and depression, says Tori Hudson,
ND, a professor of gynecology at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine
in Portland, Ore., and author of the Women?s Encyclopedia of Natural
Medicine.

"Depression is diagnosed, on average, in two women for every man, and
anxiety is the most frequently reported complaint among the general population
-- affecting approximately 10% of the population," says Hudson. "And it
occurs even more frequently in women."

She suggests St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) for the treatment
of mild to moderate depression. This herb works in several ways, including
boosting levels of the mood chemical serotonin, which is thought to be
important in preventing depression.

Another medicinal plant that helps treat anxiety is kava (Piper
methysticum), she says. Researchers are not yet sure how it works. Other
herbs -- such as ginkgo biloba, Korean and Siberian ginseng, and passion flower
-- also may help improve mood, she says.

"There are numerous medicinal plants and herbal therapies that are
reasonable options for people suffering from anxiety and depression and they
have fewer side effects [than prescription drugs]," she says.